The Rock's Rampage Begins Shooting, First Set Photo Arrives

8 months ago

The first good video game movie may be coming next year, and it has just started filming. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Rampage, which is based on the classic arcade game of the same name, has officially started principal photography. The movie is set for release next year and with the power of The Rock and a fun premise, we may finally have a video game movie on our hands that people actually want to see.

Dwayne Johnson’s frequent producing partner Hiram Garcia confirmed the news on Twitter that Rampage has officially started principal photography, which is taking place in Atlanta. The producer posted a photo that shows Malin Akerman (Watchmen, Children’s Hospital), who is playing the villain in the movie, and Jake Lacy (Girls, Miss Sloane) on set shooting a scene in an office building. Here is what Hiram Garcia had to say.

While we don’t see Dwayne Johnson in this photo, rest assured, he is the star of this movie and there will be plenty of him to go around. Or one of the many clones he may or may not have, because he’s somehow working more than any other actor in Hollywood. He just finished filming the Jumanji sequel and is diving right into Rampage. He also has the action flick Skyscraper, the Black Adam and Shazam movies for the DCEU, The Jungle Cruise for Disney and a sequel to San Andreas, among other things, on his schedule currently. But with the consistent box office success his movies have, it is no wonder everyone wants to work with him.

If history has taught us anything, it is that video game movies simply don’t work. But if anyone can break that curse, it is The Rock. Just last year, both Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed failed miserably to live up to expectations on every level, proving that Hollywood is still having trouble cracking the code on adapting video games for the big screen. However, Rampage is a different story. Mostly because the game doesn’t have much story to speak of. In case you haven’t played the game, it revolves around several giant monsters who make their way across the globe destroying city after city. It is just about as mindless and ridiculous as it sounds. That said, the creative team behind the Rampage movie will be able to craft their own story around the very simple premise, which could take some of the pressure off.

Rampage is being directed by Brad Peyton, who Dwayne Johnson worked with on San Andreas and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Other cast members for the movie include Joe Manganiello, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Marley Shelton and Naomie Harris. Rampage is set for release on April 20, 2018. Be sure to check out Hiram Garcia’s production announcement tweet for yourself below.